Getting Her Goddess On – Melissa Fernandes of ETERNALLY BAD

by moxielicious

We’re asking the cast 7 questions about ETERNALLY BAD. Serious or silly, here are their answers.

Who is your favorite character in ETERNALLY BAD?

That is tough, I have grown pretty fond of all these characters. I would say my favorite to perform is probably Pele, because the characterizations we have come up with amuses me to no end and the song is very retro. I love these women because they use their wits, they make change through civil disobedience, and were the game changers of their time. It can be inspiring.

What’s the strangest thing you learned in your research for ETERNALLY BAD?

I don’t think anything was really odd to me as I came onboard pretty familiar with these goddesses and the myths. I have a background with Wicca and so I am very familiar with the Triple Goddess. I do love the correlations between modern-day fairy tales, for example with the Navajo story about Grizzly Woman. I also particularly love the strength they display. I feel like there was a great respect and reverence towards women in these cultures that is really lacking in today’s society. They were truly equals in many of these stories. We are still fighting for that today.

If we had stayed a matriarchal culture, like many that are referenced in ETERNALLY BAD, what do you think would be the biggest difference in our society?

Well, women tend to be more nurturing. It doesn’t mean we don’t have tempers or a competitive edge, but we would deal with violence differently. We relate to others in a more personal way; less posturing, more consensus.

If you were going to sleep with any character in the show… who would you choose?

Lilith-She seems…um… fun. 😉

You change character a lot, what’s your most challenging transformation?

In terms of costume changes, I have it pretty easy, compared to everyone else but in terms of characterization, switching back and forth between Earth Mother and the other goddesses is a challenge. Sometimes we have literally one word to switch, so you have to be constantly thinking ahead while also, staying in the moment. Always a challenge for an actor and something that comes with the job, but it is lightning fast in this show.

Has it been hard to keep a straight face on rehearsal?

Yes! We also have to be careful about joking around too much because Javier WILL add it to the show and then you find yourself revisiting 80’s dance moves and juggling.

What has it meant to you to spend time reclaiming some bad girl legends?

It has been a great reminder to find your strength, be brave, and don’t take any shit from anyone. It has been nice to embrace a wild, sexy, strong side. We don’t get a lot of opportunity to experience that in reality without being depicted as bitchy, emasculating or domineering.